Mysteriously Glutened By Amy's Kitchen?

[Guest BERNESES]

JoAnn- Great link! Jen- you're lucky to have such a great support group! I don't know what Amy's is planning to do but you might want to call them and ask them the batches to watch out for. The batch codes are imprinted on the products and you have to hold them strangely up to the light to see them. I don't know if they're going to recall (I doubt it because it was a small amount, but they were pretty upset, so you never know).

I guess I'm down to unprocessed foods and those only produced in a dedicated facility. I'd prefer not to be a gluten test victim anymore. Stinks though- I love Amy's and I still respect thyem this morning

[lizzy 0]

OK- This is twice now that I have had a reaction to an Amy's gluten-free dinner. The first was the rice mac 'n cheese which after the fact, much to my chagrin, I looked on the BACK of the box because someone here said that if you read it, it says processed in a plant that also processes wheat. OK, I thought maybe it was the lactose then since the mac has cheese.

So I wait two weeks and yesterday, I ate Amy's gluten-free/ DF Shepherd's Pie which does NOT have that label on the back nor does it have dairy. Sick as a dog again- I hadn't even recovered from the first time yet!  If you go to their website, it says a general blanket statement that SOUNDS LIKE, yes, we love our Celiac friends but the plant also processes wheat so we make no guarantees. No, if that were the case, why would they label some of their products with the CC warning and not others?

If it is Amy's, and I'm pretty sure it is, I'm going to be REALLY disappointed because I love their foods and I had respect for their company.

Has anyone else been glutened by an Amy's product without the CC warning? As many of you know, I am micro-sensitive. Thanks, Beverly

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hi i too thought i had a gluten accident from amys too i had the enchildars and i was ill and i have seizures from the gluten i had a really bad night then i had a shepards pie the other day and spent three days in bed from gluten .i had thought it had come from somewhere else but now i am wondering, i have only been gluten free for 5 weeks now i was really sick and was nearly in a wheel chair but i have been getting better, but these incedants knock me off my feet for days and takes longer to get over, i wont be buying anymore of her products, thanks

[skbird 0]

Stinks though- I love Amy's and I still respect thyem this morning

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I think it's cool they are doing all this, despite the fact that it happened. I mean, that of course is not cool and I'm sorry you and anyone else has gotten sick from their products. But at least now they will be looking into it more. That is what is cool about their response. They actually care.

I think I'll hold off on getting any mac and cheese for the time being, just to be safe. I don't want to be a guinea pig.

Thanks for posting all of this! It was one of those "amazing" stories of the day I told my husband at dinner last night...

Stephanie

[Guest BERNESES]

Lizzy- You should call them (and anyone else who has had a reaction to their products). They need to know so they can look into it. I probably won't be buying anymore Amy's Kitchen either, mostly because I think I am only going to buy anything processed only from places that are dedicated facilities, but you should let them know. as far as I know, my call was the first they'd heard of it. B

[elonwy 3]

I got really sick from the mac n cheese a while back too, and stay away fom it now. I still eat the rice bowls, but stay away from all the other stuff. I hafta have some packaged foods, to deal with lunches, I just can't get myself together enough to make lunches, wish I could, but its one of those things I've given up on for now. And the rice bowls are tastey.

I just do Tinkyada and velveeta now, and that comes out super yummy. My bf ate it with me for dinner the other night, he thought it was really good.

Elonwy

[hthorvald 0]

i myself haven't noticed issues with amy's.  she is a godsend to me   i have loved the pizza--putting on more sauce, toppings and cheese and baking.

anywho...good response from the company--it is refreshing that they care!!  let us know what happens with the testing...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I discovered Amy's Mac and Cheese a few weeks ago and was thrilled. I had about 3 or 4 of them and then the last one gave me bad cramps and diareha (sp). It's the only thing I can think of that I ate gluten free.

After that, I decided to stick to what I know. Cooking it for myself in a gluten-free kitchen from gluten-free ingredients. I miss the convenience of it all, but don't have to worry about it afterwards.

Helen.

[Guest BERNESES]

I really think that anytime anyone of us gets sick from a product that is clearly leabeled gluten free, it should be reported to the company. Companies like Amy's, at least, really want to know. I'm sure there are companies that don't care.

I agree- I am sticking with what I know, cooked by myself in my kitchen. The convenience part really stinks but I am much more inconvenienced by three days of vomiting than I am by one hour of cooking what I know is safe.

[skbird 0]

I agree, too, Beverly, it's just so hard to be convinced that something labeled gluten free would be the culprit. That is why I think it's so cool they validated your experience. Definitely, if anyone gets sick on Amy's, they should get in touch with them. At least we know at this point.

Stephanie

[Drew 0]

Just wanted to let everyone know what the end result was.  I got a call from Amy's Kitchen today. They sent a sample of the Shepherd's Pie and the gluten-free rice mac n cheese to the University of Nebraska. UN can test down as far as 10 parts per million and the Shepherd's Pie had 31 parts per million in it so, according to Amy's, it DID have gluten in it.

...

Beverly

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you very much for bringing me to a new level of awareness concerning cross contamination. I think I fell prey to the '"if it is in print it must be true " fallacy due to wishful thinking. It would be nice to be able to eat processed comfort foods but apparently that just will not be possible untill some legal guidelines are in place regarding contamination.

[jerseyangel 413]

Amen to that!

[skbird 0]

Just thought I'd post this excerpt from the Wall Street Journal article on wheat free eating, published Nov 1, 2005.

And at Whole Foods Market, the standard is no more than 50 parts per million, says Lee Tobin, who runs the company's 8,000-square-foot Gluten-Free Bakehouse, which opened last year in Morrisville, N.C.

So Whole Foods Bakehouse is ok up to 50 ppm. Since some people on this thread have reacted at what appears to be less than that amount, I would be concerned about eating their products. I don't eat them at this point because all the ones I saw have potato in them, anyway, but good info for the rest of you.

Stephanie

[kelliac 0]

Too bad all gluten-free food manufacturers/suppliers don't have completely dedicated facilities so that we could relax a little. I heard at a meeting recently that the group that tests for Kosher foods will soon be testing for gluten-free compliance at the same time. Has anyone else heard about this?

[hsd1203 0]

I stopped eating Amy's a while ago for this reason... I usually just assumed it was something else I'd gotten into or something like that, especially since it was pretty early on in my gluten-free life, but I really think I may be pretty sensitive, as I also have had issues with food and restaurants that others on here haven't.

Good for you for being so proactive and contacting them... I'm so glad they were so concerned and tested and everything... but an occasional accidental 30 ppm is just a little too much for me!

Dedicated facilities would be wonderful... but as this story highlights, unless they make EVERYTHING on site, from start to finish, there can always be that "other supplier" contamination. Sad.

Heather

[Guest BERNESES]

So sad but true! Beverly

[Matilda 1]

..

[2Boys4Me 4]

Too bad all gluten-free food manufacturers/suppliers don't have completely dedicated facilities so that we could relax a little.  I heard at a meeting recently that the group that tests for Kosher foods will soon be testing for gluten-free compliance at the same time.  Has anyone else heard about this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You heard right, here's a link to the "Gluten-Free Certification Organization"

http://www.gfco.org/

and to the Kosher group who will be overseeing it.

http://oukosher.org/index.php/articles/single/5317/

Of course, we Canadians are S.O.L.

[lizzy 0]

hi i was wondering if anyone had a problem with vans waffles as they too are made in a wheat enviroment too and i felt ill yeserday after having some for breakfast and besides a baked potato was all i had to eat

[lizzy 0]

Just thought I'd post this excerpt from the Wall Street Journal article on wheat free eating, published Nov 1, 2005.

So Whole Foods Bakehouse is ok up to 50 ppm. Since some people on this thread have reacted at what appears to be less than that amount, I would be concerned about eating their products. I don't eat them at this point because all the ones I saw have potato in them, anyway, but good info for the rest of you.

Stephanie

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hi stephanie

i have a question why your concern over potaoe is they something i dont know about them i need to know liz

[Felidae 0]

Lizzy, I stopped eating Vans waffles after I read their contamination statement. It's really too bad because they taste so good. But, I don't want to take any chances since I am very sensitive to gluten.

Stephanie is referring to Nightshade intolerance (potatoes, etc). If you do a search you will find some info. on this topic.

[codetalker 13]

I discovered Amy's Mac and Cheese a few weeks ago and was thrilled.  I had about 3 or 4 of them and then the last one gave me bad cramps and diareha (sp).  It's the only thing I can think of that I ate gluten free.

After that, I decided to stick to what I know.  Cooking it for myself in a gluten-free kitchen from gluten-free ingredients.  I miss the convenience of it all, but don't have to worry about it afterwards.

Helen.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Helen -

Mac and Cheese is one thing that I used to cook for myself a lot but it is one thing I have never tried to duplicate gluten-free. When I used to cook it before going gluten-free, I started by making a white sauce with wheat flour and then adding cheese. Is it possible to make a gluten-free white sauce? If so, I would be eternally in debt to anyone who would share a workable recipe. I could use that for other dishes as well.

Chuck

[jerseyangel 413]

If you can tolorate corn, you can use cornstarch in place of the flour in a whitesauce recipe. Before I went dairy free, I did it all the time.

[bluelotus 1]

hi i was wondering if anyone had a problem with vans waffles as they too are made in a wheat enviroment too and i felt ill yeserday after having some for breakfast and besides a baked potato was all i had to eat

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yess!! Glad it wasn't just me. My husband thought I was being over-reactive/over-sensitive, but I got so sick from them and refused to eat them afterwards. (He had to eat them, maybe that's why he wasn't too happy).

I have also stopped eating food not made in dedicated facilities. Very hard. After these postings, I stopped eating Amy's ketchup and mustard too. For those of you that have done the same, any suggestions on what condiments to buy or how to make your own? Sorry for the bold, just want my question to be noticed.

One brand that does use dedicated facilities (supposedly) is Enjoy Life. They make bread, bagels, breakfast bars, cookies and cereal. They also don't use other allergens, like soy, dairy, egg, corn, etc. Their plain bagels and cookies are great. Everything else is good, but not particularly excellent.

[Rachel--24 7]

One brand that does use dedicated facilities (supposedly) is Enjoy Life.  They make bread, bagels, breakfast bars, cookies and cereal.  They also don't use other allergens, like soy, dairy, egg, corn, etc.  Their plain bagels and cookies are great.  Everything else is good, but not particularly excellent.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do you know of any other products made in a decicated facilty? I love Enjoy Life cuz its one of the only gluten free foods I dont react to. I dont know if its just gluten traces or maybe something else in the other products that bothers me but I just do alot better eating Enjoy Life than any other brands I've tried.

[Guest BERNESES]

Namaste is a dedicated facility (their Blondies mix rocks!) and as far as I know Mary's Gone Crackers is dedicated as well. I love the black pepper and the herb crackers.

[Guest BERNESES]

Thanks so much for the GFCO info- that is awesome! Matilda- I'd offer to be your gluten detector but apparently I'm having enough problems detecting my own gluten. Waaaa! Sometimes I just wish they would make wheat illegal. For us, it's like drinking mercury. Waaa again!